Kim Hyun-joong: 'I Am Trying to Be Cynical'

"I have too placid of a temper, so I am trying to be cynical". -Kim Hyun-joong

Kim Hyun-joong, who became a star actor by appearing in the drama "Boys over Flowers", will make a comeback to the small screen by appearing in KBS's new Wednesday and Thursday drama "Naughty Kiss" (written by Ko Eun-nim, directed by Hwang In-roi and Kim Do-hyeong). The drama is about a genius but cynical male protagonist named Paek Seung Jo, who has an IQ of 200 and meets an impatient troublemaking female protagonist named Oh Ha Ni (Jeong So-min). They will present a pleasant and cheerful love story in the drama.

Kim Hyun-joong had played Yoon Hi Hoo in "Boy Over Flowers", and he made a comeback after a one year and six month break after finishing "Boy Over Flowers". He explained about the character Paek Seung Jo, whom he will play, by saying, "The character is a mixture of Koo Joon Pyo and Yoon Ji Hoo in 'Boys over Flowers'".

In the production presentation held in the Imperial Palace Hotel in Nonhyundong on August 26, Kim said, "He has a warm heart inside, but he becomes a cynical person because he cannot express his genuinely warm temperament. I am trying to act as cynical as possible, but the director wants me to act more cynically, so I am studying how I can become more cynical".

The production company Group Eight explained Paek Seung Jo is an "entirely different kind of genius", who can read 20,000 letters and memorize 400 words in a single minute. Kim Hyung Joong said with a smile, "Honestly, it is very difficult to play a character with an IQ of 200. I am actually speaking lines of some totally new vocabulary that I have never known so far, and the words such as 'equation' and 'log' appear in the script, so it is like studying again in high school".

About the question regarding his somewhat delayed comeback to acting after "Boys over Flowers", Kim answered, "I had performed very hard as a singer so far by releasing an album". He added, "Before taking this role, I was worried about how I can play a high school student because I am already 25 years old. But I had been informed that the production director Hwang In-roi would direct this drama, so I applied to have an audition and earned the role of a high school student. While acting, I am trying to speak as aggressively as possible. I sometimes have to shout and show a disheveled appearance in the drama, so I might be able to present more interesting acting than I did in 'Boys over Flowers'".

Kim Hyun-joong, who belongs to the group SS501, had been caught up in controversy over his acting ability due to his rather inaccurate pronunciation. He said, "I am practicing speaking while biting a cork stopper to create more accurate pronunciation. I still feel ashamed when people call me an actor. I am acting as an actor, but it is still more natural for me to stand on the stage as a singer. As I am trying very hard to acquire qualifications to become a real actor, I think that I might be able to say confidently that I am an actor someday in the future. I will be happy if I can hear people's evaluation saying, 'He put more effort on acting in this drama than when he appeared in 'Boys over Flowers'".

Kim Hyun-joong had signed an agency contract with Keyeast, in which star Hallyu actor Bae Yong-joon is the largest shareholder, last June when his next appearance in a drama had not yet been decided. Kim explained, "I moved to the new agency because I thought that I could get a lot of help for my further activities both as a singer and an actor. I mostly talk about personal matters in conversations with Bae Yong Joon, and I am learning many things about self-management from him".

Kim Hyun-joong also candidly said, "I actually feel pressured because the drama 'Naughty Kiss' is my first TV appearance after the hit 'Boys over Flowers'. If I say that I have no pressure about the viewer ratings, it would be a lie. It is the same as the activities as a singer. For singers, the second album is more important than the first album, and I think that acting is the exactly the same because the second work is more important than the first work. So, I am trying my best to show a better performance. I know that the competing drama 'Bread, Love, and Dreams', which airs on the different broadcasting station, has high viewer ratings, but I want you to watch my drama because it will be much more exciting and interesting".

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